Chapter 28 – Guest Retainer Number One

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 28 – Guest Retainer Number One Long Sword Soul

The swordsman felt his mind become muddled as too many questions flooded in at once.

'Huh…'

What his opponent had said sounded simple, but its content was anything but simple.

In truth, it was an incomprehensible story.

The claim of being connected to Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon, the founder of Dragon Martial Gate and the supreme ruler of the previous generation's martial world – the statement that he would be taken in as Guest Retainer Number One of some unknown place with no right to refuse – furthermore, the claim that he would be taught to master the Four Dragon Sword Forms… not a single thing wasn't questionable.

Yet it was difficult to dismiss it all as nonsense.

The formidable sword form he had just witnessed definitely aligned with the essence of the Advancement Form within the Four Dragon Sword Forms.

A mistake? No, what nonsense.

Though he had been easily defeated by his opponent's skills, this was a body that prided itself on being a veteran swordsman with deep roots in this harsh martial world.

In other words, he had sufficient discernment to tell whether something was fundamentally the same as his own martial arts or different.

Cheol Ryu-heun threw out his bland voice again.

"You're dumbstruck. Must be confusing."

Only then did the swordsman adjust his gaze and spoke, stammering.

"Wh-What exactly is your identity…? No, more than that…"

His thoughts were so complicated that it was hard to even sort out his questions.

Honestly, he didn't even know what to ask first.

"Let me explain briefly. I'm Cheol Ryu-heun, the new Sect Master of White Peak Sword Sect, and I obtained all of Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon's teachings inside that cave."

"Ah!"

The swordsman let out a short exclamation despite himself.

His expression showed shock and thrill mingling together.

His eyelashes trembled in proof of the surging emotion.

It was inevitable.

What he had been searching for aimlessly over the past ten-odd years was precisely the location where his sect's founder Ba Hun had lived in seclusion.

In truth, it had been a vague hope.

A difficult journey with slim possibility and no guaranteed end.

Yet he had not given up until now and striven persistently to discover the founder's traces… and at last, his long-cherished wish was being fulfilled.

It was a moment when he truly felt that sincerity moves heaven.

The question of why his opponent could skillfully execute the technique aligned with the Four Dragon Sword Forms was also naturally resolved.

However.

The excitement and elation quickly subsided.

Finding the place he had so desired was fortunate, but another problem had arisen.

The person standing before him now – that bright young fellow who had identified himself as Cheol Ryu-heun.

More precisely, the martial essence he had acquired was the problem.

The founder was presumed to have left new secret manuals while residing here, but those teachings had fallen into the hands of this random stranger unrelated to the sect.

The swordsman's gaze soon turned toward the sword resting on Cheol Ryu-heun's shoulder.

"Could that be the Divine Martial Sword…?"

He knew that the founder had gone into seclusion with the Divine Martial Sword, so he asked as if probing.

Cheol Ryu-heun feigned ignorance with an expressionless face.

"What Divine Martial Sword? It was never here from the start."

"Hmm…"

The swordsman showed a somewhat disappointed look, then soon thought coolly.

'The feeling is that it's not a lie. Well, whether the Divine Martial Sword exists or not doesn't matter. What's important to me is only the sect's teachings…'

Simultaneously, one question deeply penetrated his mind.

'By the way, is he really Cheol Ryu-heun?'

He had once heard the tragic news about White Peak Sword Sect.

That the Sect Master, White Gate Sword Gentleman Sagong Woon, had been killed while out, and also that the first disciple Cheol Ryu-heun had become a vegetable.

Just as a doubtful light rose on the swordsman's face.

"I am that Cheol Ryu-heun. It's just that not many know because I only recently woke up."

When Cheol Ryu-heun spoke as if reading his mind, the swordsman's doubt seemed to ease somewhat.

'Hmm, his physical recovery was recent? Fine, let's say he really is Cheol Ryu-heun…'

He understood there was no hostile intent.

Given the large gap in martial skill, if he had wanted to dispose of him, wouldn't he have already acted?

Yet.

He didn't really understand what this person wanted from him, what intentions lay beneath.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun again read his inner thoughts.

"What are you thinking so hard about? I already stated my purpose."

The swordsman recalled what he had said earlier and asked quietly.

"Purpose… So you really intend to take me in as a guest retainer?"

"Our sect needs people. Not just filling headcount, but truly useful people. As I said earlier, you cannot refuse."

"Why are you so certain?"

"Quit the testing – because I have what you desperately want."

"…"

The swordsman clenched his teeth.

The hateful guy had grasped his weakness and was actively exploiting it.

"It seems you've spent quite a long time searching for the place where Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon lived in seclusion – all for the sake of continuing the Dragon Martial Gate's legacy, isn't it?"

The swordsman said nothing.

That was proof of affirmative silence.

Cheol Ryu-heun spoke meaningfully.

"Without obtaining what's in my head, your dream will ultimately come to nothing."

"Wait, if you mean inside your head…!"

The swordsman flinched in surprise, and Cheol Ryu-heun nodded slightly.

"You're finally getting it."

The swordsman, whose heart had sunk, asked as if shouting.

"Wh-What did you do with the founder's precious secret manuals?"

Cheol Ryu-heun smirked inwardly.

What secret manuals?

At the time, Ba Hun hadn't left any teachings – he just repeatedly meditated before achieving Feathered Ascension to Immortality.

Well, he could make something up.

After all, his opponent didn't know the hidden truth and had no way to find out.

He just needed to make the desperate situation even more desperate so the man would cling to him.

"I burned the secret manuals."

At Cheol Ryu-heun's indifferent reply, the swordsman's face went pale.

"Wh-What…!"

"Books are cumbersome to keep. Someone might steal them. But don't worry. I have an excellent memory."

When Cheol Ryu-heun tapped his own forehead with his finger, the swordsman's eyes shook greatly.

Good, time to drive in the wedge.

A faint smile formed on Cheol Ryu-heun's lips.

"Have you fully realized your situation? So from now on, treat me as your sect's founder and follow me well. Stop addressing me rudely."

Suddenly.

"Cough!"

The swordsman let out a sharp cry and collapsed flat on the ground, fainting.

Greatly shocked by the fact that the founder's secret manuals had been burned, his energy channels twisted and his internal injury worsened.

Cheol Ryu-heun sheathed the Gan Jiang at his waist and looked down at the unconscious swordsman.

'Who would have thought Guest Retainer Number One would be from the Dragon Martial Gate?'

Anyway, how mysterious.

The connections of the human world.

Soon, crouching down and joining his index and middle fingers together, he tapped repeatedly on the swordsman's chest.

Tap, tap-tap-tap- tap-tap, tap-!

He was applying the acupoint healing technique known as "Pushing the Palace Through the Acupoints," using internal energy to straighten the other's twisted energy channels.

Sure enough, the swordsman's face, which had been flushed red, began returning to its original color.

Right after, Cheol Ryu-heun checked his pulse, then completely pressed his palm against the opponent's middle dantian.

'Since he achieved Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, it'll be convenient to teach him the essence of the Four Dragon Sword Forms.'

Indeed.

The strange phenomenon that had appeared on the swordsman's body was Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown – one of the enlightenment stages where internal energy level rises.

This was precisely why he had immediately recognized him as a descendant of the Dragon Martial Gate who had learned the Azure Dragon Mental Cultivation Method upon seeing him earlier.

The reason was simple.

The mushrooms in the cave's underground space had been set up half-jokingly by Ba Hun in his lifetime.

In other words, only someone who had learned the Azure Dragon Mental Cultivation Method could neutralize the toxicity and gain its benefits.

If any other martial artist had touched them, they would have suffered abdominal pain until eventually reaching a dangerous state.

This too could be called the swordsman's blessing.

Especially for him, being from the Dragon Martial Gate, it was like a heaven-sent fortuitous encounter.

Cheol Ryu-heun continued sending true energy through his palm and confirmed that a considerable number of the fine and dormant meridian acupoints had been opened.

'Considering internal energy level alone, he's a bit higher than Elder Yeop.'

Within the body, besides the major energy channels, there existed fine and dormant meridians without even names, and depending on how many of the hidden acupoints within them had been opened, the results of internal energy cultivation study could vary.

Thanks to such opening effects, the swordsman had reached a level surpassing Elder White Mountain Sword Excellence Yeop Hwon of White Peak Sword Sect in internal energy level alone.

Soon, having finished the Pushing the Palace Through the Acupoints treatment, Cheol Ryu-heun removed his palm and muttered to himself.

"What a peaceful expression."

Lying with his eyes closed, the swordsman was breathing in and out softly with a comfortable expression, like a child peacefully sleeping.

The aftereffects of the internal injury seemed to have disappeared, and he appeared to be entering recovery.

'Now, shall I head back?'

Having stretched thoroughly, Cheol Ryu-heun soon took out a spare fire starter from his clothes and headed into the cave.

Swiftly reaching the inner end, he pressed one part of the wall just as before.

Right after.

Thunk!

With a metallic-like sound signaling the mechanism activating, the wall split left and right.

Grind-grind-grind, grind-grind-grind-grind-

Having entered the stone chamber, Cheol Ryu-heun approached the large chest in the left corner.

Opening the lid, he saw a reddish object placed inside the otherwise empty interior.

A circular jade medallion the size of a human fist.

A dragon was engraved around its border, and small, elegant characters were inscribed in the center.

The powerful brushstrokes entered Cheol Ryu-heun's eyes.

-First Dragon Martial Gate Master Ba Hun

The reddish jade medallion was precisely the sacred object that symbolized Dragon Martial Gate founder Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon's authority – the so-called "Vermillion Dragon Medallion," a sect master's command token.

'I left it thinking I might use it later, but now that someone to continue the legacy has unexpectedly appeared, I should take it with me.'

Thus, Cheol Ryu-heun put the Vermillion Dragon Medallion inside his clothes, exited the stone chamber, and then operated the mechanism to close the entrance.

'Come to think of it, I still haven't heard that guy's name.'

Shrugging, he walked on with an annoyed look.

'If he wakes up on the way dragging him back, I'll ask then. Otherwise, I'll just call him Guest Retainer Number One.'

Yes, it didn't matter if he didn't know the name.

What was immediately important was the fact that he had recruited a high-level swordsman as Guest Retainer Number One.

Of course, the method itself had been somewhat forceful.

Until the martial prowess of White Peak Sword Sect's members reached their targeted level, he planned to continue recruiting guest retainers like this.

Since finances were already abundant, wasn't this the most efficient method for temporary reinforcement of combat power?

That said, he had no intention of accepting just anyone.

He would thoroughly weigh the pros and cons and recruit only proper candidates.

When Cheol Ryu-heun came outside the cave and whistled, Divine Wind, who had been far away, approached like a flash of light.

Pat!

Cheol Ryu-heun immediately laid the swordsman on the horse's back and secured him with ropes, then took out a few ginseng roots from his money pouch.

Crunch crunch.

Having eaten them in one gulp, Divine Wind exhaled a burst of white smoke.

"Depart."

No sooner had Cheol Ryu-heun, who had already mounted Divine Wind, spoken than.

Boom- thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-!

Divine Wind charged straight through the dense valley, raising a dusty cloud.